


Lead and Follow

by cherryblossom95



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Back of the hand kiss, Ballroom Dancing, Brief Appearances from Golden Deer Members, Cute, Dancing, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fun, Late at Night, Teacher-Student Relationship, Team Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryblossom95/pseuds/cherryblossom95
Summary: Claude never cared for dancing. He was always focused on important matters. The art form was of no use in the battlefield nor in achieving his dreams. Now, however, things have changed. He needed to learn how to dance and he was gonna learn by tonight. He didn’t care if he needed to pull an all nighter. He couldn’t have himself acting foolishly in the dance floor now can he.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	Lead and Follow

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever story on this site. And my first ever story after years of not writing. I hope you guys enjoy it! :)

_“What have I gotten myself into?”_ Claude sighed to himself as Hilda looked at him disapprovingly with her hands clasped together in front of her.

Hilda shook her head side to side for the umpteenth time tonight. Claude was just not getting it. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t grasp the concept nor apply the task successfully. He finally found something that scheming couldn’t help him out of.

“Claude, your left foot always goes forward first. You keep stepping on me”.

Claude muttered a sorry before holding Hilda’s hand again. The music begins to play, and Hilda counted 5 6 7 8. This time, Claude started with his left foot moving forward and continued with the following steps. Claude attempted to focus on his feet and followed Hilda’s orders. He stepped forward, to the side, and backward as Hilda instructed over the music.

…

Ladies and gentlemen, Claude von Riegan was learning how to dance.

Claude never cared for dancing. He was always focused on important matters. The art form was of no use on the battlefield nor in achieving his dreams. Now, however, things have changed. He needed to learn how to dance and he was gonna learn by tonight. He didn’t care if he needed to pull an all-nighter. He couldn’t have himself acting foolishly on the dance floor now, can he?

“Ow.” Hilda’s yelp brought Claude back from his thoughts.

“Claude, maybe I’m not the best person to teach you how to dance. Maybe Lorenz would be a better fit”. Hilda batted her lashes, hoping to escape from her responsibilities.

Claude shuddered at the thought of dancing with Lorenz, “No. Besides, you have gotten yourself into this mess.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know you couldn’t dance and were impossible to teach”. Hilda took a break and plopped down on a chair defeatedly.

* * *

A couple of days ago, Hilda noticed that Claude had been attending her dance practices for the White Heron Cup Dance Competition. He didn’t stay for the entire dance practice but would stay long enough to make his presence known. He mostly kept quiet but would comment on things here and there. Hilda didn’t think much of it. She just assumed that Claude was just stopping by from his way to the classroom. Then, one day, Hilda caught the direction of his gaze. It was always towards their professor. His eyes were practically glued to her. Plus, his comments were always directed to their professor, and they were downright flirty.

Hilda got very excited at the realization for a couple of reasons: 1) for blackmail, 2) Claude might end up being nicer to her when he finds out that she knows, and 3) she can play matchmaker since she is a hopeless romantic after all. Hilda decided to go with number 3. She noticed the way he smiled when he was with her. It was genuine. What he was feeling was real, and she couldn’t stand in the way of love. So, she started plotting.

On the day of Hilda’s last dance practice, Hilda asked Claude to stay until the end of the session. She did not say why except for that it was important. Claude did not oppose, which only confirmed Hilda’s suspicion that Claude’s had feelings towards their professor. Why else would he stay for an hour to watch her practice?

Shortly, Hilda began practicing. She swayed and gracefully moved her body to the music. She moved side to side, spun, and curtsied like a true noble. Hilda knew she was dancing perfectly and had applied previous feedback from Byleth successfully. Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise that her professor didn’t pay attention to her technique. Nevertheless, Hilda couldn’t help but roll her eyes every time Claude would chuckle at something that he said, which would then be followed by Byleth smiling and saying something back, which would then make Claude laugh louder. It was cute and gross at the same time.

The hour passed and Hilda couldn’t wait for Claude and Byleth to stop flirting. For the first time in her life, Hilda worked harder than everybody else, that is if you consider dancing as work. To be fair, Hilda danced her ass off while Claude distracted their professor from doing her job. And now, Hilda was about to work on their relationship.

Before Byleth bid her farewell to her students, Hilda ran to Claude and her in hopes to discuss some matters. “Professor, you’re going to attend the Grand Ball, right?” Hilda smiled innocently at Byleth.

“Yes”, Byleth stated with a neutral expression on her face.

“I bet a lot of students will ask you to dance with them. You’re everyone’s favourite after all.” Hilda continued. At the corner of her eyesight, Claude visibly tensed before regaining back his composure. Hilda knew that she had just piqued Claude’s interest.

“I’m not everyone’s favourite”. Byleth shook her head side to side.

“Well, regardless, students will be swamping you. And I want to make sure that I have a dance with you. Don’t you Claude?” Hilda turned to Claude and smirked in his direction.

Claude questioningly looked at Hilda for a second. As quick as his reaction was there, it was gone in a blink of an eye. Claude was a master of controlling his actions after all. He quickly maintained his cool and directed his attention to Byleth. He winked at the professor and stated, “It would be my pleasure to dance with you, teach.”

Hilda beamed at them, “See? You already have two students in line. Would you promise to save a dance for me and Claude?”

“Of course” With that said, Byleth waved goodbye and continued with her routine of exploring the monastery and returning items to students.

Claude waited to speak until their professor was out of earshot, “Alright Hilda. You found out. What are you planning?”

Claude purposely did not label his attraction to the professor. He, himself, did not know what was going on. He could only confirm three things as of now: 1) Byleth was physically attractive, 2) He enjoys their quick banters and conversations, and 3) He needed Byleth to see his dreams to fruition.

“Nothing. I just want to help a friend out. You’re happy with her”, Hilda stated truthfully. Claude, although annoying at times, was a good friend. She wanted the best for him, and what he had with their professor was it.

Claude looked into her eyes and analyzed the meaning behind her words. Claude sighed and concluded that she seemed to be stating the truth. “One problem, Hilda. I don’t… correct that, I can’t dance”.

Hilda blinked at him in surprise and confusion. She tried to open her mouth to fix things but nothing came out. Therefore, Claude did the talking for her, “Hilda. That’s so nice of you. Thank you for offering to teach me how to dance. Looking forward to it.”

* * *

Hilda sunk lower on her chair and sulked at her current predicament. It seemed impossible to teach Claude how to dance, and it was too much work. Maybe she can get away with not teaching him but teaching him at the same time. She just needed to be smart with her reasoning. “How about you try practicing the steps on your own, and then once you’re more comfortable, we can practice together.

“Don’t assume that I don’t know what you’re doing… but that’s actually not a bad idea”. Claude walked towards the music player and pressed play. Music started to swell in the room.

Claude moved to the centre of the room and got into first position. His arms were in the air, pretending to hold a dance partner. He stepped forward with his left to begin as Hilda instructed. Moved to the right with his right foot which was followed by his left foot. Then, his right foot stepped to the back, left foot to the side, and then back to first position. Claude has successfully completed one waltz box step. Claude continued practicing the waltz until he caught sight of purple at the door.

“What are you doing in the classroom late this hour?”, Lorenz made himself known.

Hilda dashed towards Lorenz and posed innocence, “Oh, Lorenz! Perfect timing. I was just teaching Claude how to dance, but it seems like I’m not the best dance teacher. I believe with your expertise and guidance, Claude will be able to dance in no time.”

Lorenz walked towards Claude, “How do you expect to lead the Alliance without having the capability to dance? Dancing is a cultural expression and a method of forming political relations with other nobles. I have made up my mind, I shall educate you on the art of dance.”

“As much as I appreciate the offer, I would have to decline. Hilda worked so hard and I do believe she is instructing me quite well. I have made a lot of progress” Claude refused to dance with Lorenz. He wouldn’t allow it.

Lorenz walked towards Claude and rested his hand on his hip. “Progress? It seems like you are imagining your progress. Dancing is supposed to be graceful and carefree“

“Yeah! Just like this!”

Claude peered over Lorenz’s shoulder to identify the male voice. He ran his hands over his hair in exasperation at the sight of his visitors—Raphael and Ignatz. Raphael beamed at them and leaped towards the makeshift dance floor. Behind him was Ignatz who was quietly holding a set of paint and brushes. Ignatz walked towards a chair and set his tools down. He then smiled meekly at Claude.

In the meanwhile, Raphael positioned himself in the middle of the dance floor, taking a deep breath in. He straightened his back and held his head high. Raphael then closed his eyes, seemingly listening to the tune and rhythm. He stepped with his right to the side and put his weight on his quads. He elevated his right arm to the side and pushed his forearms to his biceps, With his other arm, he curled it to his front. Raphael was bodybuilding posing to the beat of the music, waltz music.

Claude shifted his weight to his right hip and crossed his arms in front his chest, “Lorenz, maybe you should teach Ralph instead”

Lorenz turned his head to face Claude with a look of disbelief and horror. “Nonsense! Raphael is spectacular! He dances to his style with such passion and feeling.” Lorenz paused, “You, on the other hand, need help”

“You’re kidding, right?” There was no way Lorenz was favouring Raphael’s dancing over his.

His doubt was soon worsened when more Golden Deer Members agreed with Lorenz’s statement, “Wow! Raphael! That was great!” From out of nowhere, Lysithea, Marianne, and Leonie decided to crowd Raphael and congratulated him for his masterpiece.

Then and there, Claude finally understood why the Blue Lion House and Black Eagle House never took them seriously. It wasn’t solely because of his scheming, but because of them as a collective. He glanced at his team members and sighed at their interactions. There was no time for distractions. He only had a couple of hours to achieve his goal. “Guys, guys! As much as I love hanging out with you after school hours, I think it’s getting a little bit late to hang out.”

All eyes were on him now. Hilda took this as the perfect opportunity to make an escape. “I do agree with you, Claude. It is getting late. We should all go back to our rooms and get a good night’s sleep”. Hilda stood up from her seat and was about to dart towards the door, but Claude stood right in front of her and blocked her from going anywhere, which raised suspicion.

“Is there something going on? I mean why are you up late at night?” Leonie crossed her arms and asked in suspicion.

Claude learned from a very young age how to answer questions that you necessarily don’t want to answer. “Thank you for your concern, Leonie, but don’t worry about me. I am more concerned as to why my friends are up so late in the night.”

fi“Midnight snack”

“Painting the night sky”

“I forgot something in the library”

“Training”

“I was praying”

“I, like the true noble I am, had to help a child find his way back home”

“And I got notified that my students are gathered in the classroom in the middle of the night”

With their eyes widened, each and every member craned their necks to the source of the voice. Their professor was standing by the classroom door with a stoic yet unnerving expression on her face. She was clad in a tank top and short shorts, and her hair was disarray. Her high heel boots were replaced by sheepskin slippers, making her appear shorter than usual. Yet, each student knew never to question her authority nor be on her bad side. And it seemed like they were very close to getting on her bad side.

No one dared to answer her. Claude, being the leader of the team, knew it was his responsibility to speak up. He needed to protect his team members from a seemingly annoyed Byleth after all. With waving confidence, Claude stated, “Sorry to disturb your beauty rest, Teach. I asked Hilda to teach me how to dance, and everybody got attracted to the music. I didn’t intend to cause a disturbance, especially not to you. ”

Byleth did not say a word nor change her expression. She marched her cozy feet on the floor towards the front of the classroom never losing her poise. The wood creaked beneath her feet. Byleth faced the class and placed her hands on the desk behind her. With a push, she lifted herself and sat on the wooden desk, her skin feeling the coolness of the material. All eyes were on her. Silence hung in the thick air. Claude’s full attention was on her, waiting both in apprehension and attraction.

Byleth crossed her legs and leaned forward, “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Claude’s eyes darted to her creamy legs and back to her soft lips. “Ready for what?” His thoughts going to a different tangent— not appropriate and fitting to the situation.

“Ready to see you dance of course”

Claude went from a state of enticement to sheer panic. He shifted his weight back and forth from one leg to another, his nervousness becoming apparent to everyone. “Ah, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“Professor, if I may.” Lorenz paused mid-sentence. “I saw him dance with my own two eyes, and he is in dire need of help. Hilda attempted to teach him, but Hilda has exhausted herself. I offered my time and service to help, but he refused my offer. Maybe it would be best if you teach him, professor. We can’t have a leader who cannot dance. It won’t be good for the alliance.”

“I agree with you Lorenz. I think Claude should learn such essential skill”. Byleth did not give the opportunity for Claude to escape so easily. She was woken up in the middle of the night and the least he could do was make this worthwhile. “Now, tell me… how much have you learned?”

How much did Claude learn? He, himself, did not know. His eyes went from one corner of the room to the opposite corner. His team had decided to settle down and grab a seat for their amusement. Give them popcorn and the picture would be complete. However, one person is missing— the only person who would be able to answer Byleth’s question. “Hilda? Hilda? Did she really leave?” His team nodded in unison.

Claude sighed, “Well, I believe I learned the basic waltz including the box step.”

Byleth jumped off the table and headed towards Claude and the dance floor, “Alright, let’s get started”.

“I’m all yours, teach”. With a wink, Claude held out his hand, inviting her to dance. He feigned confidence as he bent his trunk forward to bow.

As Byleth’s hand found his own, Claude felt electricity running from where they connected to the rest of his body. His heart skipping a beat with the contact. He stood up and smiled at her, trying to exude grace and masking his increasing heartbeat. With one hand holding her own, his other hand reached out behind her to rest on the back of her shoulder. Music shortly started playing, giving him the cue to lead her on the dance floor. Claude prepared himself mentally, reviewing the steps he has learned and shouting internally to start with his left foot moving forward. Gathering all of his courage, he took a step forward with his left foot.

“Lorenz, pause the music.”

“Teach, you hurt me. We haven’t even started.” Claude placed his hand over his heart. Byleth found the act charming and attempted not to smile and encourage his antics. Claude, however, saw the quick curvature of her lips, easing his nerves. His calmness shortly disrupted by a thug forward, resulting in him stepping closer to Byleth.

“Woah, Teach. If you’re just trying to get close to me, I would be more than happy to take you out to dinner.”

“In order to lead effectively, you would need to pull your partner closer to you. That way, you can direct their movement.” Byleth stated matter-of-factly.

“More than happy to” With a smirk on his face, Claude lowers his hand from her upper back to wrap around her waist, pulling them flushed together—her chest and hips against him. Claude wondered if Byleth could feel his fast heartbeat and his growing interest in her. He gazed down at her and saw redness across her features. She was beautiful. Claude had the need to reach out his hand and run his thumb across her cheeks. As he reached out to touch her cheeks, Claude felt a light push on his shoulder, creating a tiny space between them.

“Too close”, Byleth said in a whisper.

Claude heard groans in the background, pulling him back to reality. With a few inches in between them, he towered over her smaller frame. He controlled his desire to lean down and cave into the rush of the moment. He stepped back, missing the warmth of her body against his. He settled with holding her hand in his own, giving it a light squeeze to let Byleth know he’s waiting for further instructions.

“Perfect. Now, I want you to make sure that you strongly frame your arms. Don’t just hold me, but use your arms to guide my every movement”

Claude tilted his head with a blank expression on his face. Seeing the confusion in Claude’s face, Byleth squared her shoulders and added resistance to her arms. She kept her right arm rigid and applied enough force forward, directing Claude to follow her movement. Simultaneously, he felt her left thigh move against his, encouraging his right leg to step back. He then felt the hand on his shoulder pressed firmly to the side, which Claude took as a cue to step to his left. Byleth continued demonstrating basic techniques to effectively lead while dancing. Claude analyzed her movements and took note of how her hands felt as she guided his movements.

Getting the hang of it, Claude stopped on his tracks and winked at his professor, “I think I got it… Lorenz, if you would ever so kindly”

Music traveled in the room. Claude was very cautious of his movement, attempting to imitate Byleth’s dancing from awhile ago. He ensured that his frame was strong and that his hands guided Byleth’s movements. Surprisingly, it came naturally to him. He did not step on Byleth’s feet nor did he stumble on his steps. It was a miracle that Byleth was able to teach him that quickly.

As Claude grew more comfortable, he began gazing deep into her eyes. He noticed her lips curve into a smile and he had to catch his breath for a second. He couldn’t help the genuine smile that crossed his own face. He gave in to the moment— feeling her body in his arms and memorizing the way she looked at him with pride and dare he say fondness. Claude, then, heard a melody of light laughter from his dance partner, causing his hear to skip a beat. Byleth stood on her toes and leaned forward until her lips were close to the side of his face. Claude averted his gaze to her as he felt her breath on his ear, “Claude von Riegan… It’s rude to stare.”.

Claude blinked and smirked at her statement. “Sorry teach. You are just very interesting to look at.”

Shaking her head at his failed attempt to fluster her, Byleth stepped away from the young man and directed her attention to the rest of the team. “Golden deers, what do you think?”

A mixture of yeahs and fines were heard from the students. Well, in addition to one statement of ‘I guess this would be acceptable’ from Lorenz. With the sound of defeated sighs, the rest of the team stood up from their seats and made their way out of the door. The students wished their professor good night and berated Claude for learning the task too easily. Shortly, Byleth and Claude were left to attend to their internal battles. Byleth turned her attention to Claude, only to find him looking at her as if he was trying to pierce through her soul.

“Thanks, teach. I would never have imagined that I would learn this quickly. All thanks to you”.

“You were a natural. No need to thank me” Byleth started. She then continued to say, “So who’s the lucky girl?”

Claude’s eyes widened at the bold accusation. He did not expect Byleth to be that straightforward nor to draw to that conclusion. “Teach, are you jealous that your favourite student might dance with someone else?”

Byleth did not respond. She kept her stoic face and waited for a more suitable answer.

“Well, there’s no need to be jealous. As I said, I’m all yours. Sorry, but you’re stuck with me.” Claude reached out his hand and held Byleth’s in his own. Leaning forward, he brought her hand closer to him until his lips met the skin on the back of her hand. He let his lips linger as he felt her warm skin and her scent invade his senses, the kiss affecting him more than he wanted. His heart leaped and soon all he could think of was her.

“You’re such a tease”. Byleth rolled her eyes as a small smile graced over her features.

“You love it” Claude did his signature wink and gazed at Byleth. She was a mystery to him and he could not help but be drawn to her. It may be unclear where they are now, or where all of this is going to lead to, but they have enough time. For now, Claude was just going to enjoy this stolen moment with his favourite teacher.

“Come on, Teach. I’ll walk you back to your room. It’s the least I can do. And then maybe to dinner if you’ll give me the pleasure.”


End file.
